


That which cometh early

by Marishna



Series: Tell You Something 'verse [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Awesome Sheriff Stilinski, Claudia Stilinski Feels, Claudia Stilinski Memories, Deputy Derek Hale, Established Relationship, Gardens & Gardening, M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-03-10
Updated: 2015-03-10
Packaged: 2018-03-17 05:25:57
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,365
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3517103
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marishna/pseuds/Marishna
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles didn't remember what triggered it, exactly. He was studying, putting dates in his planner for assignment and finals, looking ahead to his birthday in the spring and—anyway.  But one thing led to another and before he knew it he was on the 99 headed north to Beacon Hills for an impromptu weekend home in mid-October.</p><p>He had things to do that weekend at school but when he noticed the dates he knew he had to do it then or not at all.</p>
            </blockquote>





	That which cometh early

**Author's Note:**

> Takes place after But I need to tell you something: http://archiveofourown.org/works/3500786 for the prompt "daffodils" from the LJ comm 1_million_words

Stiles didn't remember what triggered it, exactly. He was studying, putting dates in his planner for assignment and finals, looking ahead to his birthday in the spring and—anyway. But one thing led to another and before he knew it he was on the 99 headed north to Beacon Hills for an impromptu weekend home in mid-October.

He had things to do that weekend at school but when he noticed the dates he knew he had to do it then or not at all.

It took him a little over two hours to get home, on the far side of it because the Jeep wasn't the young gal she used to be and Stiles needed her to get through this last year of school before he could think about looking for something new. It was one of the reasons why Derek usually made the trip to Davis to visit him every few weeks.

The other being that it was easier for them to be (relatively) as loud in bed as they wanted at his apartment, rather than at his Dad's or at Derek's where his sisters were usually around to give Stiles the "morning after" eyes when he stumbled into the kitchen for coffee.

Stiles felt his phone vibrate in his pocket and he cursed while he fished for the Bluetooth in his console and slipped it over his ear.

"Hello?"

_"Hey, what's up?"_

Stiles grinned and felt some of his end-of-the-week tension ease from his shoulders, having not even realized he was carrying any. He'd rushed from his last class and stopped quickly at a garden center on his way out of the city to save time.

"Not much. You on break?"

 _"Mmm,"_ Derek confirmed. _"Knew you'd be out about now. Doing anything exciting tonight?"_

"Well," Stiles started, glancing over his shoulder to change lanes. "I am, as we speak, on my way home for the weekend."

 _"Is something wrong?"_ Derek asked, immediately concerned.

"No, there's just something I want to do. And for once that list doesn't have you at the top of it," Stiles replied, teasing. He heard Derek curse lightly under his breath and the slam of a car door.

 _"Do **not** start the dirty talk, I still have another four hours of my shift left,"_ Derek warned but Stiles could hear him rustling around in his seat, like he was adjusting himself. _"So what do you have to do._

"Um," Stiles started, glancing at the bags in the seat beside him. "It's not something I want to talk about over the phone."

_"Stiles, are you in trouble?"_

"No, no, nothing bad. I promise. It's just personal and probably kinda stupid and—"

 _"I'll come over as soon as I'm done my shift, okay?"_ Derek cut in softly, before Stiles could go on a tangent and talk himself out of what he wanted to do. _"I mean, if you want me to."_

"Yes, please do," Stiles said quickly.

 _"I'll see you later,"_ Derek said softly and they hung up.

***

When Derek arrived at the Stilinski house he rang the bell and waited.

He didn't hear Stiles' usual loud footsteps down the stairs or any voices from inside. He rang again and waited, before finally trying the knob.

It was open so he stepped inside cautiously, feeling the full weight that this was his _boss'_ house, as well as his boyfriend's.

He called up to Stiles from the bottom of the stairs before making his way through the house to the kitchen where the main back door was open.

He looked out the screen door and saw stiles kneeling in the back yard by a small, newly weeded and sod-turned patch of dirt along the edge of the back deck. There were flower bulb bags and loose bulbs and gardening tools scattered around him and Stiles was staring intently at the back of one of the packages, eyes narrowed in concentration.

Derek unbuckled his service belt and left it on the table with his uniform shirt, leaving him with his undershirt on. He stepped outside and let the screen door slam a little to announce his presence.

Stiles looked up, startled, then his face relaxed into a fond smile. Derek returned the look as he ambled across the grass and sank down beside his boyfriend.

"Hey," he greeted Stiles and leaned over to kiss him, slow and sweet.

"Hi," Stiles murmured when he pulled back. He leaned briefly on Derek for a second before straightening and turning his attention back to the package in his hand.

"So what are we doing?" Derek asked.

Stiles opened his mouth as if to say something, then stopped and furrowed his brow.

"Never realized gardening could leave you at a loss for words," Derek teased and nudged him with his arm.

"This is gonna sound stupid—"

"Not possible," Derek interrupted, sensing this was something important to Stiles. Stiles just fixed him with a, ‘seriously?' look and Derek laughed. "Okay, possible. But continue."

"My mom loved daffodils," Stiles finally said. Derek nodded slowly and waited. "She used to have a garden right here, when I was a kid. She couldn't take care of them much in her last couple of years. And then over the years after dad and I, well. We let it go, I guess. I don't know if it was the same for him but I just didn't want to deal, you know? So we did some work to the deck and the garden got trampled and we filled in this area."

Stiles sifted his hand through the newly tilled soil and let it sift through his fingers. "But this week I realized it's going to be ten years since she died in the spring. Right around the time daffodils bloom. I thought… and here I am," Stiles finished, spreading his arms around his mess of gardening stuff.

"But now I realize I have _no idea_ what I'm doing. I've never gardened a day in my life. I have a cactus, Derek. A _cactus_!"

Derek smoothed his hand down Stiles' back to settle him and took the bag out of his hands.

"My grandmother was big into gardening. In the summer us older kids would get sent to their place up in Oregon for a couple weeks. Laura hated working in the garden so Gramps would take her fishing with him and Gran and I would weed and maintain her beds. It's been a while but I think I can remember enough to help you."

"Really?" Stiles asked, hopeful. He grasped Derek's face between his dirty hands and kissed him soundly, grinning and wiping at his cheeks when he pulled away. "Where do we start?"

"Well," Derek began, looking over the area and supplies. He reached out and pulled a bulb Stiles already tried planting and held it up. "First, this is upside down."

Stiles winced. "Ah, gotcha. Already learning!"

***

The Sheriff was surprised to see Stiles' jeep in the driveway when he got home a couple hours later, but not surprised to see Derek's Cruiser there, too. 

When he stepped into the house he braced himself to potentially be subjected to hearing and/or seeing things he really didn't want to ever hear involving his son and deputy but the house was silent. 

He made his way to the kitchen and saw Derek's stuff on the table and the open back door. He peered outside curiously and froze when he saw it.

Derek and Stiles were working on the garden that was built up, probably thanks to some spare wood from Derek's wood shop. For once Derek was the one talking, albeit too quiet for John to hear, but he could see Derek gesturing as their hands worked together and Stiles was nodding and smiling back.

It reminded John of years long past when Claudia would be so patient with John when he tried to "help" her with her garden. She'd just smile at him and roll her eyes laughingly and guide his hand to a weed instead of a real plant.

John didn't know why Stiles came home from school to do this and he didn't care. He had, and that was enough.


End file.
